All posts by Juanita Kees

Enrico and Clint have packed their bags, handed in the limo keys and are off on an adventure. Thank you for joining us on Cruisin’ with RWA. We’ve had a great time over the last few years following your blogs, sharing and celebrating with you. I’m sure our new ‘driver’ will have fun entertaining you with our member news and blogs. So don’t go away because Cruisin’ will be back!

Member News

Keziah Hill’s good news is a two book romantic suspense deal with Momentum. Both books are part of a new series set in the Blue Mountains. They are her first novel-length books and will be published under the pen name DB Tait. The first book is called Cold Deception.

Thanks to much-loved Australian rural romance author Fiona Palmer, this week Friday Feast is living la dolce vita. Fiona reveals the pizza making tips she learned while researching her latest release, The Sunnyvale Girls. Plus you could win a copy of this bellissimo book by sharing your favourite Italian dish. Mama mia, now that’s a prize!

Social media swamping you? Be a social media heretic: five tips to take back control.
An awful lot of nonsense is talked about social media. How you have to be always on. If you don’t you’ll miss out. How you need to be on all platforms at once. All the time. That’s ridiculous. And completely not possible. Anyone who tries risks ulcers and a nervous collapse. This blog post shows you five simple ways to take back control. So that social media becomes what it should be: a means to an end. Not an occupation in its own right.

Contrary to popular belief, a good romance is not as simple as falling in love. Writing good quality romance requires creativity, innovation, skill and well-formed characters embroiled in believable conflict.
Explore the diversity of the genre, get tips on convincing emotional connection and sex scenes, discover what readers and publishers want, develop a winning story synopsis and killer pitch, and learn about the earning opportunities the romance genre offers.
For beginners, early & emerging writers.

KSP Writers Centre

Free Author Talk

Wednesday 22 October, 7.00pm-9.00pm

WINE AND CHEESE NIGHT! Come along to KSP for a fantastic evening with best-selling Australian rural romance authors Fiona Palmer and Rachael Johns. Enjoy a glass or two of wine and selection of delicious cheese and nibbles. Books will be on sale and available for personal signing by the authors.

Australian Writer’s Centre

Val and Al discuss stunning writing studios, a ridiculously priced comic book, extreme reading, and how to keep track of your ideas. They also talk to doctor-turned-bestselling author Nick Earls about how to write “funny”, persistence in publishing, and writing what you know!

Want to be a part of the most prolific genre on the planet? Keen to discover how to create suspense, plot twists and characters that readers will care about (even after you’ve killed them off)?

This course shows you how, tapping into what makes this genre unique and exploring the successful methods to crafting gripping and memorable storytelling where no seat edges are safe!

“No matter how well progressed you think you are with your writing, there is always something valuable to learn, and the thriller course really lays it all out for you in both a practical and inspiring way. My ideas really developed on this course.”
– Kerry Rogerson

RWA is looking to offer our members a series of online writers’ workshops in the second half of 2014 through its new Online Workshop List (OWL). OWL events will be hosted, facilitated and promoted by RWA on a 75:25 profit-share arrangement with the presenter (the greater amount being the presenter’s). We would like to invite interested RWA members and non-RWA members to apply to conduct a workshop online through RWA in the inaugural OWL calendar. Please download the proposal form http://www.romanceaustralia.com/p/89/OWLs, complete by May 1 2014 and email to owl@romanceaustralia.com

A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie Rowe has been writing for over ten years. Julie teaches a variety of workshops and is the moderator of the Announce Online Classes email loop, which promotes online classes for writers. To subscribe to the Announce online Classes email loop, send an email to: Announceonlinewritingclasses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Enrico and Clint will be hanging up their chauffeur hats at the end of September and handing over the wheel of the Cruisin’ limo to a new volunteer. Would you like to be the one who drives this blog into the future? If you’re an RWA member and you’re interested in compiling Cruisin’ with RWA and/or Sunday’s Event Announcements, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Renee Hammond at volunteers@romanceaustralia.com or our blogmistress, Imelda Evans blogmistress@romanceaustralia.com

This week on Friday Feast we’re celebrating Spargelzeit. Or, for those non-German speakers, asparagus time. Thriller author Jaye Ford reveals her love for white asparagus and all the beautiful ways Europeans enjoy this most royal of vegetables. Plus reveal what holiday food has sent you into a spin and you’ll go into the draw to win Jaye’s brilliant new heart-stopper Already Dead. Spargelous!

In an ideal world we’d be on all the social media platforms all the time. But this isn’t an ideal world. So we need to make some pragmatic decisions. And the first is to give yourself permission not to feel guilty!

Contests

AusRomToday is proud to announce the inaugural AusRomToday Reader’s Choice Awards! With five fabulous categories, including Best New Author, Best Established Author, Cover of the Year, Author of the Year, and the coveted Book of the Year.

Public voting commences on November 1st, so to nominate yourself (go on, you know you deserve a pat on the back!) or your favourite author, click through to our online nomination form now. Don’t forget to get your mailing list and/or street teams involved in nominating and voting for you!

Do you have an event or workshop you’d like to share? Email your event news to cruisin@romanceaustralia.com

In Person Events

Romancing the Page

Contrary to popular belief, a good romance is not as simple as falling in love. Writing good quality romance requires creativity, innovation, skill and well-formed characters embroiled in believable conflict.
Explore the diversity of the genre, get tips on convincing emotional connection and sex scenes, discover what readers and publishers want, develop a winning story synopsis and killer pitch, and learn about the earning opportunities the romance genre offers.
For beginners, early & emerging writers.

KSP Writers Centre

Free Author Talk

Wednesday 22 October, 7.00pm-9.00pm

WINE AND CHEESE NIGHT! Come along to KSP for a fantastic evening with best-selling Australian rural romance authors Fiona Palmer and Rachael Johns. Enjoy a glass or two of wine and selection of delicious cheese and nibbles. Books will be on sale and available for personal signing by the authors.

Australian Writer’s Centre

Val and Al discuss stunning writing studios, a ridiculously priced comic book, extreme reading, and how to keep track of your ideas. They also talk to doctor-turned-bestselling author Nick Earls about how to write “funny”, persistence in publishing, and writing what you know!

Want to be a part of the most prolific genre on the planet? Keen to discover how to create suspense, plot twists and characters that readers will care about (even after you’ve killed them off)?

This course shows you how, tapping into what makes this genre unique and exploring the successful methods to crafting gripping and memorable storytelling where no seat edges are safe!

“No matter how well progressed you think you are with your writing, there is always something valuable to learn, and the thriller course really lays it all out for you in both a practical and inspiring way. My ideas really developed on this course.”
– Kerry Rogerson

RWA is looking to offer our members a series of online writers’ workshops in the second half of 2014 through its new Online Workshop List (OWL). OWL events will be hosted, facilitated and promoted by RWA on a 75:25 profit-share arrangement with the presenter (the greater amount being the presenter’s). We would like to invite interested RWA members and non-RWA members to apply to conduct a workshop online through RWA in the inaugural OWL calendar. Please download the proposal form http://www.romanceaustralia.com/p/89/OWLs, complete by May 1 2014 and email to owl@romanceaustralia.com

A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie Rowe has been writing for over ten years. Julie teaches a variety of workshops and is the moderator of the Announce Online Classes email loop, which promotes online classes for writers. To subscribe to the Announce online Classes email loop, send an email to: Announceonlinewritingclasses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Enrico and Clint will be hanging up their chauffeur hats at the end of September and handing over the wheel of the Cruisin’ limo to a new volunteer. Would you like to be the one who drives this blog into the future? If you’re an RWA member and you’re interested in compiling Cruisin’ with RWA and/or Sunday’s Event Announcements, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Renee Hammond at volunteers@romanceaustralia.com or our blogmistress, Imelda Evans blogmistress@romanceaustralia.com

Member News

is super-excited to announce the cover for her next book!! Montana Actually, book one in the Medicine River series, is set in Montana and features sexy doctors, hunky cowboys, glorious mountain scenery, and a rather clueless city doctor who thought driving six blocks to his favourite Chicago deli, was a long way. Fortunately, there’s a Montana gal who knows exactly how to educate him.

Christmas Extravaganza – Only a few spots remaining in the AusRom Today Christmas Extravaganza. If you’ve got a Christmas/Festive-themed romance novel (new or existing) that you’d like to promote, email me on jaimee (at) ausromtoday.com

Friday Feast features some serious zing this week. Annie West is celebrating the release of her new romance, Damaso Claims His Heir, with a mouth-watering tarte au citron. And if that’s not zesty enough, you could score your own sexy Brazillian billionaire by entering the Damaso giveaway. Just the thing to get your mind, mouth and heart samba-ing!

Contests

AusRomToday is proud to announce the inaugural AusRomToday Reader’s Choice Awards! With five fabulous categories, including Best New Author, Best Established Author, Cover of the Year, Author of the Year, and the coveted Book of the Year.

Public voting commences on November 1st, so to nominate yourself (go on, you know you deserve a pat on the back!) or your favourite author, click through to our online nomination form now. Don’t forget to get your mailing list and/or street teams involved in nominating and voting for you!

Contrary to popular belief, a good romance is not as simple as falling in love. Writing good quality romance requires creativity, innovation, skill and well-formed characters embroiled in believable conflict.
Explore the diversity of the genre, get tips on convincing emotional connection and sex scenes, discover what readers and publishers want, develop a winning story synopsis and killer pitch, and learn about the earning opportunities the romance genre offers.
For beginners, early & emerging writers.

Australian Writer’s Centre

The Australian Writer’s Centre offers a range of Writing Courses as well as informative Podcasts:

Podcast: Episode 24- So You Want to be a WriterIn Episode 24, Valerie and Allison discuss how to contact your fave author, how to find time to write, and what it means to “show don’t tell”. They also try out an app to find names for your characters and blogging sensation Nikki Parkinson’s launches her new book, Unlock Your Style!

You can listen to the podcast here or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here.

The Great Aussie Book Prize

The inaugural Great Aussie Book Prize is being run by Barnardos Australia and as well as supporting children in need, also dangles one mighty fine carrot for novelists. In their words, they’re looking for “inspiring true-life stories from everyday Australians”, with the winner receiving agency representation from Australia’s most renowned literary agent Selwa Anthony, and print, ebook and audio book contracts from a well-known Australian publisher. A great prize! Submissions close 31 August, so check out their website for more details.

Online Events

RWA is looking to offer our members a series of online writers’ workshops in the second half of 2014 through its new Online Workshop List (OWL). OWL events will be hosted, facilitated and promoted by RWA on a 75:25 profit-share arrangement with the presenter (the greater amount being the presenter’s). We would like to invite interested RWA members and non-RWA members to apply to conduct a workshop online through RWA in the inaugural OWL calendar. Please download the proposal form http://www.romanceaustralia.com/p/89/OWLs, complete by May 1 2014 and email to owl@romanceaustralia.com

A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie Rowe has been writing for over ten years. Julie teaches a variety of workshops and is the moderator of the Announce Online Classes email loop, which promotes online classes for writers. To subscribe to the Announce online Classes email loop, send an email to: Announceonlinewritingclasses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

We love celebrating news, views and interviews with our members, so drop us an email at cruisin@romanceaustralia.com. Don’t forget to come back on Sunday for a list of exciting writing-related events.

Say Adieu

Enrico and Clint will be hanging up their chauffeur hats at the end of September and handing over the wheel of the Cruisin’ limo to a new volunteer. Would you like to be the one who drives this blog into the future? If you’re an RWA member and you’re interested in compiling Cruisin’ with RWA and/or Sunday’s Event Announcements, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Renee Hammond at volunteers@romanceaustralia.com or our blogmistress, Imelda Evans blogmistress@romanceaustralia.com

Member News

Congratulations Leesa on the release of Charming the Outback - the next passionate New Adult novel from the author of Winning the Player.

When jaded city girl Maddy McIntyre packs up and leaves Adelaide for a new job in the country, it’s not only a chance at a fresh start. Six months ago, the first guy she’d ever loved shattered her heart before moving home to Broken Hill. Deep down inside, Maddy is hoping that living in the same town will give her an opportunity to prove to Luke that she’s one temptation he can’t resist.

Congratulation to Cathryn on the release of her first romance adventure novel, The French Prize.

An ancient riddle, a broken vow – a modern-day quest for a medieval treasure.

Australian-born Dr. Olivia Walker is an Oxford academic with a reputation as one of the world’s leading Crusade historians and she’s risked everything on finding one of the most famous swords in history – Durendal. Shrouded in myth and mystery, the sword is fabled to have belonged to the warrior Roland, a champion of Charlemagne’s court, and Olivia is determined to prove to her detractors that the legend is real. Her dream is almost within reach when she discovers the long-lost key to its location in Provence, but her benefactor – Raimund Blancard – has other ideas.

When Carina goes camping with her friends she hopes her friends can help her heal from the horrific attack she suffered ten months ago. The day after she confesses everything to her friends around a campfire, all five of them are blown through a portal to The Land of Feury.

It’s Gallic gastronomy on Friday Feast this week with Cathryn Hein. There’s a tempting foodie snippet from Cathryn’s new romantic adventure and a delicious recipe that will entice the fussiest of eaters. Plus share your favourite freezer meal and you’ll go into the draw to win a copy of The French Prize. C’est magnifique!

Contests

AusRomToday is proud to announce the inaugural AusRomToday Reader’s Choice Awards! With five fabulous categories, including Best New Author, Best Established Author, Cover of the Year, Author of the Year, and the coveted Book of the Year.

Public voting commences on November 1st, so to nominate yourself (go on, you know you deserve a pat on the back!) or your favourite author, click through to our online nomination form now. Don’t forget to get your mailing list and/or street teams involved in nominating and voting for you!

Enrico’s Pick Six

Submit your blog site link to cruisin@romanceaustralia.com to share with our readers. Enrico hand picks six blogs to showcase every week. Enrico’s Pick Six this week:

Contrary to popular belief, a good romance is not as simple as falling in love. Writing good quality romance requires creativity, innovation, skill and well-formed characters embroiled in believable conflict.
Explore the diversity of the genre, get tips on convincing emotional connection and sex scenes, discover what readers and publishers want, develop a winning story synopsis and killer pitch, and learn about the earning opportunities the romance genre offers.
For beginners, early & emerging writers.

Queensland Writers Centre

Contracts & Copyright

Contracts & Copyright is a two hour seminar led by agent and contract adviser, Alex Adsett, and dedicated to equipping you with the tools to understand your rights as a writer, no matter the medium. Over the session, Alex will be talking about traditional, hybrid and self-publishing contracts, digital rights, copyright of your work as well as copyright when it comes to quoting or adapting others, and more. For more details, visit our website.

Can’t make it in-person? Delivered proudly in partnership with The Australian Society of Authors, Contracts & Copyright is also available online as a webinar! Check the link below for more details.

Podcasts

So You want to be a Writer – This week’s episode from the Australian Writers Centre looks at self-publishing sensation Unbroken, how One Direction fan fiction can land you a book deal, bizarre niche blogs, and how to deal with an editor when you can’t deliver what you promised.

Online Events

RWA is looking to offer our members a series of online writers’ workshops in the second half of 2014 through its new Online Workshop List (OWL). OWL events will be hosted, facilitated and promoted by RWA on a 75:25 profit-share arrangement with the presenter (the greater amount being the presenter’s). We would like to invite interested RWA members and non-RWA members to apply to conduct a workshop online through RWA in the inaugural OWL calendar. Please download the proposal form http://www.romanceaustralia.com/p/89/OWLs, complete by May 1 2014 and email to owl@romanceaustralia.com

A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie Rowe has been writing for over ten years. Julie teaches a variety of workshops and is the moderator of the Announce Online Classes email loop, which promotes online classes for writers. To subscribe to the Announce online Classes email loop, send an email to: Announceonlinewritingclasses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

We love celebrating success. Our members are encouraged to send in their New Release news for publishing in Hearts Talk and the New Releases blog. Don’t miss the deadline! Send in your new releases by the 8th of every month to: newreleases@romanceaustralia.comhtgoodnews@romanceaustralia.com Of course, the Cruisin’ Crew don’t want to miss out on the celebrations, so drop Clint and Enrico an email with your blogs, new contract, first sale, new cover or release news at cruisin@romanceaustralia.com. Don’t forget to come back on Sunday for a list of exciting writing-related events delivered by our members.

Member News

Life just threw her a curveball!As the team-owner’s daughter, Maggie Jameson grew up in the New York Saints’ stadium—glove, cap, hot dogs, and all. Baseball’s in her blood, and she’s always dreamed of the day when she would lead the Saints to victory herself. That was before her dad had to sell the team to Alex Winters. The fast-talking, fiercely attractive businessman has a baseball pedigree that’s distinctly minor league. Maggie wants to hate him but his skills of seduction, however, are off the charts.

Selah Davis loves her life as a journalist in Seattle (or so she says) but on a rare trip home to Marietta to cover the Copper Mountain Rodeo, she confesses to her best friends over drinks that her one regret in life is not sleeping with her high school boyfriend, Levi Monroe. Into the bar walks Levi, also home for the rodeo. When her friends dare her to proposition him for a one night stand, she’s at first appalled… but the more she thinks about remedying her one regret, the less she can get him and their electric chemistry out of her head. Selah’s always been her parents’ good daughter. Would it hurt just for one night to be a little bit bad?

Brushing off the Boss is out 15 September and is Book 2 in the Half Moon Bayseries in the Bliss imprint

The one passion they had in common was the one that would keep them apart.

Artist Sienna Sacchi is about to have everything she’s ever dreamed of, when sexy playboy Jack Montgomery comes strolling back into her life as the owner of her gallery. Her plan to buy it herself ruined, she refuses to let him interfere with the most important thing—her debut exhibition. But Jack’s not just taking over her workplace, he’s also intruding on her art studio, her home, and maybe even her heart.

Anna Campbell has another daring release out for historical fans, What a Duke Dares

He’s the last man she wants to marry – and he’s the only man she’ll ever love …

A reputation at risk

What woman in her right mind would say no to marrying the dashing Duke of Sedgemoor? Miss Penelope Thorne, that’s who. She’s known Camden Rothermere since they were children – and she also knows she’d bring nothing but scandal to his name.

Decadent food, a delicious romance, and a dashing giveaway. It’s all happening on Friday Feast with Anna Campbell. To celebrate the release of her luscious new historical romance, What A Duke Dares, Anna reveals what it was like to attend a glamorous Regency ball and shares a recipe for lobster patties. Plus confess the most deliciously decadent thing you’ve eaten and you’ll go into the draw to win your own copy of What A Duke Dares. Divine!

You don’t need to know anything about rugby league to read Deep Diving even though it features a rugby league playing hero. He’s on holidays, so not a football to be seen! But I love rugby league and here are a few reasons why a little rugby in your romance can be a good thing…

Contests

AusRomToday is proud to announce the inaugural AusRomToday Reader’s Choice Awards! With five fabulous categories, including Best New Author, Best Established Author, Cover of the Year, Author of the Year, and the coveted Book of the Year.

Public voting commences on November 1st, so to nominate yourself (go on, you know you deserve a pat on the back!) or your favourite author, click through to our online nomination form now. Don’t forget to get your mailing list and/or street teams involved in nominating and voting for you!

Enrico’s Pick Six

Submit your blog site link to cruisin@romanceaustralia.com to share with our readers. Enrico hand picks six blogs to showcase every week. Enrico’s Pick Six this week:

Contrary to popular belief, a good romance is not as simple as falling in love. Writing good quality romance requires creativity, innovation, skill and well-formed characters embroiled in believable conflict.
Explore the diversity of the genre, get tips on convincing emotional connection and sex scenes, discover what readers and publishers want, develop a winning story synopsis and killer pitch, and learn about the earning opportunities the romance genre offers.
For beginners, early & emerging writers.

Aspire On Line

Seeking expressions of interest from established authors in the romance genre to assist with writing course material and tutoring student assessments.

Rebecca Timmis is the Creative Manager of a new online education business, ASPIRE Online Courses. We are seeking expressions of interest from established authors in the romance genre to assist with writing course material and tutoring student assessments.
This is real, paid work and a great opportunity to build a profile name and get exposure as an author. We are offering flat fee or royalty-based payments for course material, and a per-assessment fee for tutors.
Our online team is creating a dynamic website and we will be investing heavily in online and offline marketing strategies.
I am a writer for children and young adults and have seen so many aspiring writers try and take on the world of self-publishing without first learning the craft of writing. I am passionate about education and want to establish a team that will bring the best out of our students.
If you would like to apply or wish to share this opportunity with a qualified colleague, please visit ASPIRE online courses and complete an application form at http://aspireonlinecourses.com.au/eoi/course-material.php

Book Expo Australia

Where Books Come Alive – Books for everyone and all genres.

Times
From 9:00am for Teachers and librarians
From 10:00am for General Public
Close at 5:30 pm Saturday and Sunday

Tickets are Now On Sale!

$5.00 – Teachers and Librarians (proof of employment may be requested)
$20 – Family ticket (2 adults and 2 YA)
$8.50 – Adult
$5.00 – Children(YA) over 12 to 18
Free – Children 12 and under (proof of age may be requested)

Australian Writer’s Centre

The Australian Writer’s Centre offers a range of Writing Courses as well as informative Podcasts:

Podcast: Episode 24- So You Want to be a WriterIn Episode 24, Valerie and Allison discuss how to contact your fave author, how to find time to write, and what it means to “show don’t tell”. They also try out an app to find names for your characters and blogging sensation Nikki Parkinson’s launches her new book, Unlock Your Style!

You can listen to the podcast here or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here.

The Great Aussie Book Prize

The inaugural Great Aussie Book Prize is being run by Barnardos Australia and as well as supporting children in need, also dangles one mighty fine carrot for novelists. In their words, they’re looking for “inspiring true-life stories from everyday Australians”, with the winner receiving agency representation from Australia’s most renowned literary agent Selwa Anthony, and print, ebook and audio book contracts from a well-known Australian publisher. A great prize! Submissions close 31 August, so check out their website for more details.

Online Events

RWA is looking to offer our members a series of online writers’ workshops in the second half of 2014 through its new Online Workshop List (OWL). OWL events will be hosted, facilitated and promoted by RWA on a 75:25 profit-share arrangement with the presenter (the greater amount being the presenter’s). We would like to invite interested RWA members and non-RWA members to apply to conduct a workshop online through RWA in the inaugural OWL calendar. Please download the proposal form http://www.romanceaustralia.com/p/89/OWLs, complete by May 1 2014 and email to owl@romanceaustralia.com

A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie Rowe has been writing for over ten years. Julie teaches a variety of workshops and is the moderator of the Announce Online Classes email loop, which promotes online classes for writers. To subscribe to the Announce online Classes email loop, send an email to: Announceonlinewritingclasses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Writers Festivals 2014

Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) is Melbourne’s annual, two-week celebration for writers, readers and thinkers. Each year in August, the Festival celebrates the talent and ideas of hundreds of writers from Australia and around the world, through a vibrant program of storytelling, conversation and discussion, intellectual debate, educational programs, live performance, music and art events. The Festival includes events for people of all ages and more than a quarter of the program is free. Their highly regarded Schools’ Program attracts more than 15,000 students.